Loaf-forming machine.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

E. W. SMITH. LOAP FURMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 1, 1907.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

EDGAR W. SMITH, OF `IOLIL'I, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMPION MACHINERYCOMPANY,

OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

- LOAF-FORMING MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR WV. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at J oliet, in thecounty of Vill and State oflllinois,\have1invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loaf-Forming Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My `invention relates to bakers machinery and more especially to doughhandling apparatus having the function of shaping and molding the doughafter it has been prepared and divided into lumps or pieces.

The chief objects of my invention are to produce a simple, efficient andeasily operated machine for the purpose stated and to that end I havedevised the appliance illustrated in the accompanying drawing whichforms a part of this specification and which' consists, essentially, ofa receiving hopper into which the divided portions of dough Yareseverally deposited to bc acted upon by a series of compressing orsheeting rollers placed beneath the hopper to form each loaf mass intoan elongated strip which fallsby gravity upon revolving' surfaceshaving' a tendency to roll or wind the strip of dough upon itself untilit assumes a cylindrical form, thence dropping upon an endless apron tobe carried a considerable distance between moving `and fixed surfaces,thus continuing therolling and kneading process, shaping the loavesuniformly, and having adjustiniy means to vary the. pressure upon thedoug cylinder to change the dimensions of the finished-product, whendesired. f In the drawing: Figure 1 is a front elevationof my improved'dough molding machine, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1. A

Referring to the drawing in detail the numeral 3 indicates the mainframe of the machine which supports an auxiliary frame 4 carrying a pairof rollers 5, 6, mounted on shafts l7 and 8, respectively. These shaftsare journaled in the auxiliary frame 4, and the bearings 'of the saidshaft 8 are adjustable by the hand wheels 9, thus allowing a variationin the space between the opposite faces ofthe rollers. The said rollershave approximately the same cross diameter, and the rear roller 5 isprovided with flanges 10 which overlap the ends of the companion roller6 to confine the dough laterally as it passes between the rollers.

A short distance below the rear roller 5 is -ried on a shaft 21similarly journaled.

mounted a comparatively small roll 1], and directly beneath this is alarger roll 12 both rolls being carried on a shaft 12*1 mounted in fixedbearings in the auxiliary frame 4 so that their surfaces just clear. Infront of thelast mentioned rolls, is located a roller 13 mounted on ashaft 14 journaled .in the main frame and connected to an idler roller15 carried on a shaft 16 by an endless apron or belt 17 made of .felt orsimilar material having a surface covered with a pile or nap. Below, anda little in front of the said idler 15, is a similar roller 1S having.its shaft I9 journaled in the main frame and at the rear of the frame.is a corresponding idler 20 car- 'lhe said roller 1S and idler 20 arcconnected by an endless apron 22 of material similar to the previouslymentioned apron 17. The bearings of the roller 1S are adjustable bymeans of the hand wheel 23, to keep the said apron 22 at a propertension to prevent undue sagging andto have it run true. Between thesaid rollers 5 and 11 is located a scraper 24 which is closed adjustedto the surfaces of the adjacent rollers and serves to remove anyfragments of dough which may adhereto their surfaces.

Below the roller 12 is fixed a guide plate 25, its horizontal portionbeing approximately parallel with the apron 22, and beneath said apronis located a compressing plate 26 having its rear end 27 upturned andcurved on an arc approximately concentric with the axis of the idler 20,while its front margin-is depressed to form a channel or trough intowhich the cylinders of dough are rolled by the action of the endlessapron 22. Transverse rods 29 are arranged beneath this plate and carrycams 30 which serve to adjust said plate 26 vertically when operated bya handle 30a.

Upon the extremity of the lshaft 7 of the sheeting roller 5 are mountedtight and loose driving pulleys 31 and motion is communicated to thecompanion shaft 8 by a pinion 82 which gears with a similar pinion 33keyed on said shaft 8. From the other end of the rlatter a singlesprocket chain 34 imparts mo- Upon the outer end of the shaft 12EL whichl carries the roll 12 is carried a sprocket 36 which connects by a chain37 with a sprocket 38 mounted on the shaft 19 of the'roller. 18. Abovethe rollers 5 and 6 is placed a receiving hopper 39, and standards 41securedk to the auxiliary frame 4 carry the usual flour dredge 40.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The divided portions ofdough are placed singly in the hopper 39 where the rolls 5 and 6immediately size upon the piece and as these rolls turn towards eachother the dough will be compressed andl drawn through the rolls in asheet, as indicated by the dotted lines A in Fig. 2. As soon as thelower end of this sheet orV strip reaches the face of the roller 12 itsmargin is curled upward and forward by the roller movement as fast asthe material is fed, the small roll 11 assisting in this involution ofthe sheet margin. The rolled sheet then falls between the roll 12 andthe apron 17 upon the horizontally moving apron 22, the downwardmovement of the rear face of the said apron 17 facilitating the descentof the cylinder of dough and continuing its rotation in the samedirection as the primary movement. The apron 22 then carries the doughcylinder beneath the fixed plate 25 and onward toward the rear, sufi-l.cient pressure being maintained between the opposing surfaces tocontinue the kneading process and preventing any tendency of the layersof the dough cylinder to unwind. The dough mass indicated by a1 is thusrolled along until it is carried around between the rear end of theapron 22 and t-he curved portion 27 of the adjustable pressure plate 26and this movement is continued between the under side of the said apronand the horizontal portion of the plate 26, a certain amount of pressurebeing exerted by the adjustment of the cams 30. By the time the doughhas thus reached the pan 28 and has been deposited therein as shown ata3 the kneading and shaping process will have been completed in athorough manner, and the seam or joint between the end of the sheet andthe adjacent layer will be effectually closed.

HHaving thus described my invention, I claim 1. .In a dough-moldingmachine, a pair of feed rollers arranged to compress a lump of dough, apair of involuting rolls arranged to receive the dough from the feedrollers, a movable guiding apron of napped material arranged oppositesaid involuting rolls, an endless conveyer traveling in a plane at rightangles to said guiding apron, and a xed compression plate co-acting withsaid endless conveyer.

2. In a dough-molding machine, a pair of I feed rollers arranged tocompress a lump of dough, a pair of involuting rolls arranged to receivethe dough from the feed rollers, and revolving in the same direction, avertically idisposed guiding apron of napped material arranged oppositesaid involuting rolls, an endless conveyer traveling in a horizontalplane, aiixed compression plate, and an adjustable compression plate,arranged on opposite sides of said conveyer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR W. SMITH.

I/Vitnesses:

JN0. A. DAVILLA, THoMAs G. KING.

